Railroad-switch-operating device



I. BAKOVICH.

RAILROAD SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FB.28, 19'21.

1,377,452. Y. Patented May10,1921,

E FlG. 1 T l 1f l l l UNITED STATES JOSEPH IB'AKOVICIEI, OF 'HERMINIRPENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

y.Application filed February 28, 1521. lSerial No. 448,638.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH BAKovIoH, a citizen of JugoeSlavia, residingat Herminie, in the county of `llestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania,yhave invented certain new and useful mproveinents in Railroad-Switch(.)perating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe primary object of the inventionis the provision of ready means foroperating a switch from a moving car whereby the motorman may controlthe travel of the car either` upon `the main track or a siding or branchtrack at will and without the aid of a switchman.

A further object of the invention is the provision of switch operatingmechanism installed adjacent a railroad track, whereby a distantlypositioned switch may be opened or closed at will during the travel ofthe car, thereby saving time and expense in connection with theoperation of Switches.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a switch operatingmechanism operable from a moving train and possessing great strength ordurability, as well as being simple in construction and easy andinexpensive to install.

I Vith the above general objects in view and others that will appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermorefully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed. i Y

ln the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 isa plan view of a railroad track partially broken away andshown withthe present switch operating mechanism 1nstalled, y

Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn on a larger Scale and taken upon lineIl--H of Fig. 1, f

Fi g. 3 is a still further enlarged view taken upon line III-III of Fig.1, and

llig. 4; is a vertical sectional view through a portion with the side ofthe car showing the adjustable actuator for theswitch mechanism. y

Referring in detail to the drawing the 1nvention is herein illustratedin connection with a straight line of track having rails 10 and 11, therail 11 being laterally curved to form one rail of a switch track orsiding 12 in connection with the rail 13 parallel therewith. A movableswitch point 14 is pivoted as at 15, to the end of the straight linetrack 4railA 11l for cooperating with the rail 11,

while a similarswitch point 16 is pivoted as at 17 to the rail 13 forcoperating with the rail 10. Theswitch points 1/1 and 16 are connectedby a transverse switch operating rod 18 which extends beyond one side ofthe rail 11 where it is provided with the usual weigthed lever 19 formanually throwing the switch points should occasion so require. Theconstruction thus far described is old and well known in the art, andthe present invention provides an improved mechanism for the automaticShifting of the rod 18.

The actuating mechanism for the switch points 14 and 16,' constitutingthe present invention, is mounted adjacent the straight track 10-11 at asuitable 4distance from the switch points 14 and 16 and includes ahorizontal base 2O preferably in the form of a metal plate which isembedded in cement as at 21 substantially flush with the surface of theroadbed, the base 2O being provided with apertures at the ends thereofthrough which project upright posts 22 which have their lower endsembedded within the cement 21 and which are provided with alinedapertures through which a double rack bar 23 is slidably guided, therack bar 23 being disposed parallel with the track rails 10 and 11 andbeing extended at one end to a point adjacent the hand lever 19 where itis at.- tached slidably and pivotally as at 24 to one Patented May 1o,1921.y

end of a bell-crank lever 25 which has its other end Similarly connectedasfat 26 to the rod 18. ln order to resist accidental move ment of therack bar 23, downwardly curved leaf springs 27 are attached to theupright members 22 so as 'to have their lower free ends bearingupon theupper surface of the rack bar 23, the attaching means for the spring 27preferably including` yadjusting screws 28 whereby the friction ofthe'springs upon the rack bar may be regulated.

The rack bar 23 has its opposite side edges toothed as at 29 and 30, anda pinion 31 meshes with the teeth 29 while a similar pinion 32 mesheswith the teeth 30, the pinions'31 and 32 being respectively fixed upon lthe lower ends of vertical shafts 33 and 34 which are ournaled insuitable bearings 35 carried by upright posts 36 and 37. rlhe posts 36and 3,7 extend through suitable openings provided therefor in the baseyplate 20 and have their lower ends embedded within the cement 21, andthe post 36 extends upwardly to a greater height than the post 37 asclearly shown in Fig. 2. rIlhe shaft 33 has a lever 38 fixed theretoadjacent the top of the post 36 softhat the lever 38 normally projectsinwardly toward the rail 11 as shown in Fig. 1. In a similar manner, theshaft 34 has a lever 39 secured upon the upper end thereof directlybeneath the lever 38 so as to normally project inwardly toward the rail11 as is also shown in Fig. l. If desired, the shaft 33 may be extendedt0 a point above the lever 38 so as to have a signal lantern 40 mountedthereon whereby the motorman of a carV may readily ascertain whether ornot it is necessary for him to throw the switch in order to proceed inthe desired direction.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated the carrying actuator for the levers 38 and 39consisting of a lever 41 extending through an opening 42 in the side 43of a car and pivoted therein as at 44, the lever 41 being provided witha releasable spring catch 45 for cooperating with a curved rack 46 whichis suitably fixed to the inside of the car concentric with the pivot 44.The lever 41 is provided with a transverse bar 47 upon its outerprojecting end, the bar 47 being suitably braced as at 48and beingdisposed for engagement with a desired one of the levers 38 and 39 whenthe lever 41 is shifted from the neutral position of Fig. 4 to aposition wherein the catch 45 engages either the upper notch 49 or thelower notch 50 of the rack 46.

With the parts positioned as shown in the drawing, we will assume that acar is approaching the switch moving toward the right of Fig. 1, itbeing the intention of thc motorman to keep upon the straight linetrack. With this view, the catch 45 is released and the lever 41 isswung so as to engage the catch 45 with the notch 49, whereby the bar 47is lowered so as to strike the lever 39. This causes rotation of shaft34 so as to move the rack bar 23 toward the left, thereby swingingbell-crank lever 25 for causing movement of rod 18 whereby the switchpoint 14 is brought adjacent rail 11 and the switch point 16 is movedaway from rail 10. Had the motorman desired to turn into the siding orbranch track 12, he would have positioned the lever 41 in its neutralposition as shown in Fig. 4 so that the bar 47 would pass between thelever 38 and 39 without striking either one of the same. However,supposing that the switch points had been actuated as above outlined,and that another approaching motorman wishes to turn into the siding orbranch track, he will set the lever 41 vwith the catch 45 engaged in thenotch 50 so that the bar 47 will strikethe lever 38 for rotating pinion3l and causing return of the rack bar 23, bellcrank 25,.rod 18 andswitch points 14 and 16 to the position of the same shown in Fig. 1.From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation as well as the advantages of the present invention will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe iiivention as claimed.

lVhat is claimed as new is 1. Train-actuated operating mechanism forswitches comprising operatively connected switch points, a rackoperatively connnected to said points adaptedfor shifting the points forpermitting travel upon the main track or a siding at will, operatinglevers for the rack inwardly projecting tol ward the track in differenthorizontal planes and a bar carried by the train adapted for adjustmentfor selectively engaging said levers whereby the switch points areshifted in either desired direction.

2. In combination with a railroad track having a siding, switch pointscontrolling travel between the straight line track and siding, anoperating rack for the switch points, pinions in constant mesh with theopposite sides of the rack, shafts carried by said pinions, and inwardlyprojecting levers upon said shafts positioned at different elevationsadapted for selective contact during the travel of a car upon the maintrack whereby the switch points are actuated in either desireddirection.

3. In combinati-on with a railroad track having a siding, switch pointscontrolling travel between. the straight line track and siding, anoperating rack for the switch points, pinions in constant mesh with theopposite sides of the rack, shafts carried by said pinions, inwardlyprojecting levers upon said shafts positioned at different elevations, abar pivoted for vertical shifting upon the car traveling upon the trackadapted for selectively engaging said levers` and adjustment-retainingmeans for said bar. 4. A device of the class described comprising switchpoints for a rack, actuating levers therefor at different horizontalpositions adjacent the track adapted' for moving the switch points ineither desired direction.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH BAKOVICI-I.

